


Palimpsest

by AStrangeDaze (TerraRising)



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Daniel is a bit of an idiot in the beginning, Derogatory Language, Gen, Hybrid AU, Hybrid Ong Seongwoo, Hybrid Rights, Hybrid discrimination, I'm too lazy to tag everyone individually, M/M, Mentions of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-10 23:59:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13512489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraRising/pseuds/AStrangeDaze
Summary: "Kitty," he breathes without realizing what he's saying and the stranger recoils as if slapped, eyes narrowing as the ears that had so captivated Daniel pulled back to lay flat against his head."Whatdid you just call me?"Or: Daniel wishes he could stop messing up where Seongwoo is involved. If he keeps trying, maybe he'll get it right?





	Palimpsest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mvpchani](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mvpchani/gifts).



> This is literally an entire month late and it's still so bad, I'm so sorry Marie!!!!! Happy super super belated birthday, forgive me, I hope you still like it even though this probably wasn't what you had in mind >_<

"Whoops, sorry hyung!"

 

 

Daniel stumbles as Jinyoung steps on his untied shoelaces somehow and watches in horror as his strawberry and cream Frappuccino with extra whip smashed into the immaculate black sweater of the person in front of him.

 

 

"Oh shit," he reaches forward without thinking, trying to wipe off the whipped cream, wincing when his attempt only smears it further into the soaked fabric, "I'm so so sorry. Um, I-"

 

 

He looks up and his apologies die in his throat. The stranger in front of him has a reluctantly exasperated look in his eyes, face just a little pinched as he hands his messenger bag to his laughing friend and gingerly pulls the sweater off, mussing up soft looking hair and hiding a handsome face from view temporarily. But Daniel's not staring because the stranger was attractive and now only clad in a thin, skin-tight tee, no, he was staring at the fluffy black ears twitching on the top of their head.

 

 

"Kitty," he breathes without realizing what he's saying and the stranger recoils as if slapped, eyes narrowing as the ears that had so captivated Daniel pulled back to lay flat against his head.

 

 

" _What_ did you just call me?" he snapped.

 

 

"Um, ah," Daniel stammered, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I'll pay for dry cleaning?"

 

 

The cat hybrid in question just shoots Daniel a look that could strip paint more effectively than acid, the rest of his face set into a mask that was perfectly haughty. "No thank you," he responds, biting out each word clearly as if Daniel had offered to kick a child in the face and then stalks off.

 

 

"Hyung," Jinyoung breathes, brows furrowed in pity while looking as if Daniel had disappointed him, "That was kind of insensitive."

 

 

"Huh?"

 

 

"What you said," Jinyoung says slowly as if he's explaining something to a small child, "You can't call a hybrid that, it's considered derogatory, you know? And to Seongwoo hyung too; the entire campus will know by tonight."

 

 

"What?" Daniel asked, still confused.

 

 

Daehwi rolled his eyes and butt into the conversation since Daniel clearly wasn't getting the hint. "You called Seongwoo hyung 'kitty' and that's just not done, hyung. It's rude, he's not a cat. I mean, if you guys were close and it was an accepted endearment, that's fine, but to a stranger. I'm surprised, hyung, I didn't think you were one of those people."

 

 

Daniel flailed, trying to explain himself. "I'm not!" he insisted as his juniors flinched away from the flying bits of strawberry flavoured ice, "It's just, I was surprised okay?! Hybrids are rare and there weren't many back home, that's the first time I've really seen one up close?"

 

 

Daehwi gives him a pointed look, "Jihoon hyung is a hybrid."

 

 

"Yes, but it's not the same," Daniel lamented, trying to make them understand.

 

 

"He's not, urgh, I really like cats okay?" he finished lamely.

 

 

"Seongwoo hyung isn't a cat," Daehwi reminded Daniel with a huff, "Stop calling him that, okay? I'm saying this for your own good. Good grief, you're lucky the rest of his pride wasn't around."

 

 

"Pride?" Daniel’s brows furrow further at the unfamiliar term, chugging the remnants of his drink and then chucking the cup into a nearby bin.

 

 

Jinyoung gives him a fascinated look when he shows no signs of brain freeze, "He's a feline hybrid, hyung. Like how Jihoon hyung has his pack, it's kind of the same thing but the term is just different?"

 

 

"Oh….um, would it have been bad if his pack, sorry, I mean pride was here?"

 

 

"Depends on who it was with him, really," Daehwi muses, handing Daniel a wet wipe he materialized out of thin air because there was no way he fit the entire packet in those pants of his, "If it was Dongho hyung…"

 

 

Jinyoung snorts, "You're just saying that because you're still intimidated by how big he is, Daehwi-ah. Naw, Dongho hyung would probably just glare and posture, Minki hyung though, he might have clawed your face off. He can be protective."

 

 

"You can't blame me!" Daehwi huffs, "Dongho hyung looks more like he should be a bear hybrid than a wolf hybrid!"

 

 

"Yes, and he's an actual teddy bear inside," Jinyoung comments dryly.

 

 

"Um, guys," Daniel ekes out, still stuck on Jinyoung's 'claw your face off' comment, "should I….should I go apologize?"

 

 

"Not right now," Jinyoung advised, "Maybe give Seongwoo hyung some time to calm down? You'll probably make things worse if you went right away. But hyung, you should really do some reading and research on hybrids before you insult anyone else."

 

 

"Can't I just ask you guys?" he asked helplessly.

 

 

"We're not hybrids, hyung," Daehwi reminded him, popping a piece of gum into his mouth and then into Jinyoung's when the other boy opened his mouth demandingly, "We don't know everything. But maybe talk to Jihoon hyung?"

 

 

"Yeah, yeah, I think I'll do that….was it really that bad though?"

 

 

Both boys just shot Daniel a pitying look. "Aigoo, he must have slept through the current events classes in high school," Daehwi murmurs to Jinyoung softly, "This hyung. How can he be so clueless?"

 

 

"I kind of want to watch this go down," Jinyoung admits with a snicker, "It's going to be a disaster."

 

 

"Guys!" Daniel whined, uncaring that he was supposed to be the hyung.

 

 

"Talk to Jihoonie hyung," Daehwi repeats, smacking Jinyoung for his insensitivity, "We have class now, talk to you later, bye hyung!"

 

 

Daniel lifts a hand to wave back at them hesitantly as the two younger boys shot off across the field towards the Comp Sci buildings. “I’m not going to get my face clawed off, right?” he mused out loud to himself, laughing nervously, “Right?”

 

* * *

 

 

“Psst, Jihoon,” Daniel calls lowly as he peaked out from behind the stacks.

 

 

Jihoon’s ears twitch before the younger looks up from his assignment and waved Daniel over, “Hey hyung, what’s up?”

 

 

The younger looked up at Daniel with wide eyes and a perfectly innocent look. Too innocent in fact and Daniel groaned out loud before collapsing into the seat beside Jihoon, mindful not to accidentally crush the younger’s tail. “You already know, don’t you? Was it Daehwi?”

 

 

Jihoon snorts, covering up the sound with a clearing of his throat, “Half the campus knows already, hyung, I didn’t even need Daehwi’s text though it was appreciated that he gave me a heads up you were coming by way. ‘Kitty’, really, hyung?” Jihoon shakes his head slowly with pursed lips, “You’ve got some nerve. I’m surprised Seongwoo hyung just went all Ice Prince on you instead of slapping you, maybe Minhyun hyung has finally rubbed off on him.”

 

 

“Is it really that bad?” Daniel bites his lower lip and looks at Jihoon pleadingly, “I can fix this, right?”

 

 

Jihoon looks at Daniel as if he’s grown a second head, “Hyung, you called a panther hybrid you’ve never met before _kitty_ to his face after how many years of us working to be on equal footing as humans instead of being seen as pets? You’re honestly lucky you didn’t get clawed across the face.”

 

 

The younger takes one look at Daniel’s hopeless face and sighs, “Just make sure you apologize to him tomorrow and let him know that you didn’t mean to offend him. Bring him a gift so he knows you’re sincere, explain that you were ignorant and it’ll never happen again, and for heavens sake don’t look him in the eye for too long.”

 

 

“A gift?” Daniel babbles, typing furiously on his phone so he could note everything down, “Okay, I could do that. A gift, um, what’s a good gift?”

 

 

Jihoon shrugs, “Food is always good. Small trinkets could work too, Seongwoo hyung likes pretty things.”

 

 

“Okay, okay, thanks Jihoonie!” he exclaims, jumping this his feet and then ducking his head as the people around them glare at how loud he’s being.

 

 

“No problem hyung, but read up on hybrid customs when you have time, yeah?” Jihoon’s own eyes twitch in annoyance at the other’s raised volume.

 

 

“Yeah, I will, thanks Jihoon,” he whispers as loudly as he dares before jogging towards the stairs; there was a small shop just five minutes from his apartment that sold accessories for hybrids, Daniel was sure there would be something nice he could find there within his budget.

 

 

“And stay away from blond snow leopards in the mean time!” Jihoon calls after him in warning,flipping off the disapproving library crowd glaring at him, “Rumour has it Minki hyung is out for blood on Seongwoo hyung’s behalf.”

 

 

“Right, gift, apology, stay away from angry blonds, got it!”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Hi.”

 

 

Daniel skitters to a halt in front of Seongwoo hesitantly as the other was about to make his way around the quad to his next class. It’s been two weeks and five failed attempts at getting Seongwoo to stop long enough for Daniel to apologize, the older always walking away from Daniel as fast as he possibly could the moment he caught sight of him. But desperate times calls for desperate measures and now Daniel is hoping ambushing him in the open like this will at least buy him enough time to get two sentences out because not being able to apologize when his thoughtless comment had so clearly upset the other was eating away at Daniel.

 

 

He watches as Seongwoo’s face shutters, an expression of pinched disappoval painting his face briefly before it’s void of all emotion. “Oh, it’s you again. What do you want?”

 

 

Daniel briefly looks over to see the hulking bear of a man standing beside Seongwoo, eyeing Daniel as if deciding whether he needs to step between the two of them physically. Was this the ‘Dongho’ that Daehwi had mentioned? When he’s positive the other man isn’t going to step forward and slug him in the face, he gives a jerking bow, careful to keep his eyes averted since Jihoon told him to avoid eye contact.

 

 

“Seongwoo-ssi. I, I’m here to apologize. I didn’t know any better last time, my hometown didn’t have many hybrids so I’m lacking in that area,” he blurts out the words all in a rush, thrusting the box he was holding out in front of him while bowing low, “Please accept this gift as an apology! I didn’t mean to insult you!”

 

 

He waits, back stiff and sweat beading on his neck before someone finally tugs the box out of his grasp. Daniel sneaks a peak upwards to see it had been Dongho who had taken the gift from him and was handing it to Seongwoo who stood still, eyes scrutinizing Daniel’s bent form before he took the box with a sniff at Dongho’s prompting.

 

 

Daniel straightens slowly, head still ducked as he fidgets in spot nervously, listening for the crinkling of wrapping paper being ripped away, breath caught in his throat and eyes clenched.

 

 

“Is this your idea of a joke?”

 

 

Seongwoo’s frigid tone cuts straight through his frenzied worries and Daniel’s eyes pop wide open, looking up just in time to see Seongwoo holding the black choker gingerly between two fingers, arm extended away from his body as if just touching it was disgusting to him.

 

 

“No, I-”

 

 

Dongho is in front Seongwoo now, teeth bared threateningly as he moved to shield the other man from Daniel’s gaze, a growl low in his throat that had Daniel taking an instinctive step back. “You’ve got a lot of nerve.”

 

 

“I, I didn’t, what-” he stammered as Seongwoo dropped the choker back into the box, snapped it shut and stalked forward to shove it against Daniel’s chest.

 

 

“You can keep your little _gift_ ,” he sneers, lip pulling back to reveal sharp canines, eyes flashing amber in a way that makes Daniel’s heart stutter and his breath catch, “Let’s go.”

 

 

Dongho shoulders past Daniel with a snarl before taking long strides to catch up with Seongwoo.

 

 

“Don’t let him get to you, Seong-ah,” Daniel hears him say as he throws a protective arm over the other hybrid’s shoulders, turning back to shoot Daniel one last intimidating glare, “Some people are disgusting.

 

 

Daniel clutches the box to his chest and watches the two hybrids make their way far away from him, eyes unwittingly trained on Seongwoo’s swishing tail as the students around them burst into whispers. He’s still standing there staring forlornly down the path and trying to figure out where he went wrong when Jihoon bounds over with Woojin in tow, both of them linking an arm through the crooks of his elbows before they frog-marched him away, Jihoon snapping at anyone who tried to approach them.

 

 

“Hyung, are you okay?” Woojin asks with worry in his eyes when they finally have him settled on a bench a ways away from the quad, in a tiny plot of a garden tucked into the side of one of the Arts buildings, “You were just standing there like a Dementor sucked your soul out.”

 

 

“I,” he opens his mouth and then closes it again uselessly, shaking his head, “I don’t know what I did wrong. I just wanted to apologize but he got so angry at me.”

 

 

“Okay,” Jihoon lays a hand on his forearm with a frown, “Let’s start from the beginning. What exactly happened that ended up in half the group chats I’m in roaring to life with allegations that you’re a despicable pervert who is prejudiced against hybrids?”

 

 

Daniel just turns helpless eyes towards Jihoon. “I just went to apologize! I told him I was sorry, that I didn’t know any better, and then I gave him the gift,” he’s almost babbling by the end of it, gesturing towards the box in befuddlement, “His friend handed the gift to him, he opened it and then suddenly he was really mad, he asked me if it was a joke and I said no but I didn’t really know what to say. Then he shoved the box back and me and left and I’m pretty sure his friend was ready to rip my throat out, oh my god.”

 

 

Jihoon stares at him for a moment, mentally deciphering Daniel’s word vomit before reaching towards the gift in question, “May I?”

 

 

Daniel nods because what else could he do? He watches as Jihoon opens it and then pulls a face before turning back to Daniel grimly. Even Woojin who just took a peek looks at him aghast.

 

 

“Hyung, please tell me you didn’t give this to Seongwoo hyung.”

 

 

“I-is is not pretty?” Daniel gestured at the black velvet accented with a large golden loop and a delicate chain hanging below, “I thought it was nice? The employee at the store recommended it.”

 

 

“Which store is this?” Jihoon forces out in a voice that was probably meant to be calm but sounded more like he was trying not to give himself an aneurysm, “Please tell me you didn’t go tothat place near your apartment at the corner across from the chicken shop that has discounts on Tuesdays.”

 

 

“…..should I not have?” he asks meekly when Woojin and Jihoon exchange _looks_ before they both covered their faces with a groan in eerie unison.

 

 

“Jihoon? Woojin?”

 

 

“…hyung, you gave Seongwoo hyung a _collar_.”

 

 

“I thought it was a choker; they’re popular right now, right? It’s the trend.”

 

 

“It’s a _collar_ ,” Jihoon stresses , looking towards Woojin for help only for the other to shrug as if to absolve himself of responsibility on the basis that he wasn’t a hybrid, still refusing to look up, and Jihoon flips him off even though there’s no way for Woojin to see it, “You got him a collar.”

 

 

“O-okay? I’m guessing that’s bad?”

 

 

“A collar from a _fetish shop_ ,” the younger boy hisses almost hysterically, “You literally could not have gotten a worst apology gift?!”

 

 

Daniel flails, almost falling backwards off the bench, “What do you mean a fetish shop?”

 

 

“I mean exactly that! What the actual fuck, hyung, how could you not know this?!”

 

 

“It looks like a normal shop on the outside!”

 

 

Woojin chokes on his own incredulity and finally lifts his head up from his hands, “Hyung, there is _literally bondage equipment in the display out front_.”

 

 

“I thought those were just belts!” Daniel yelps, face burning now, “Oh my god, I bought Seongwoo-ssi bondage gear.”

 

 

“You also bought him a collar which hasn’t been used in polite company since 1983 when the ownership of hybrids was finally abolished,” Jihoon throws his hands up in frustration, “No wonder everyone thinks you’re a pervert who is anti-hybrid rights!”

 

 

“Jihoon, Jihoonie,” Daniel throws himself forwards bodily to grasp at Jihoon’s hands, “Help me fix this.”

 

 

“Frankly, I’m not sure if you _can_ fix this,” Jihoon crinkles his nose and then looks at Woojin, “What do you think Woojin-ah?”

 

 

Woojin is silent for a moment before he holds out his hand to Daniel. “Phone,” he demands, and Daniel scrambles to pull it out of his pocket and deposit it in Woojin’s hand without questioning in his haste.

 

 

Woojin unlocks the phone with easy motions (and when on earth had Woojin figured out his password?!) and scrolls through his contacts before holding up the phone to Daniel. “Call Jisung hyung and beg for help.”

 

 

Daniel accepts the phone back, staring at the dimly growing screen in a trance, “Jisung hyung?”

 

 

“Yes,” Woojin nods decisively, “Jisung hyung knows _everyone_ and he can probably smooth things over with Seongwoo hyung for you so that you can apologize for real.”

 

 

“You’re right, hyung does know everyone!”

 

 

“Exactly, and I have it on good authority he’s actually pretty good friends with Seongwoo hyung and his pride so at the very least they’ll listen to him. Now we’re going to the library.”

 

 

“What?” Daniel looked up confused.

 

 

“The library,” Woojin repeats slowly as if speaking to a child, “You’re going to check out reference books on hybrids and read them so you don’t stick your foot up your ass again. If we leave you alone, you’re going to read up some trashy article online and make everything even worse. So, up!”

 

 

“I’m your hyung!” Daniel offers as a token protest even as he gets up with a pout.

 

 

“Yeah, and right now, _hyung_ , you done fucked up big time, so suck it up and let’s go, chop chop!”

 

* * *

 

 

 

Without Jisung, Daniel has absolutely no idea how long this would have taken to resolve.

 

 

Thankfully, Jisung had taken one look at the utterly devastated look on Daniel’s face, sighed, bundled him up with blankets and hot cocoa on the couch even though it was still the tail end of summer, and told Daniel to “wait here while hyung calls a few people”.

 

 

It still takes almost three weeks even with Jisung hyung pulling a _lot_ of strings (god damn, was Daniel amazed by exactly how many people Jisung knew and how many of them owed him a favour of some sort), and more reading than Daniel ever wants to do again because he’s not a literature major for a reason dammit, but in the end he has a solution of sorts. Literature was, surprisingly, Woojin’s cup of tea. The younger boy was doing a double major in Sports Science and Literature of all things and the only time Daniel could really recall seeing himsitting still was when he had his nose buried in a book, so really he shouldn’t have been surprised when the younger had dumped a stack of books on him taller than his collection of comics and declared it ‘light reading’.

 

 

When Daniel had turned imploring eyes at Woojin, mouth opening to ask if he couldn’t just summarize them for him, the glint in Woojin’s eyes had stopped him and he ended up reading through three of the reference books himself before he called it quits and crashed on the couch of Daehwi and Jinyoung’s dorm with the notes he made.

 

 

“Okay, so no cat-based nicknames without permission because it’s rude and derogatory,” he mumbles to himself as his two underclassmen continue to ignore him, too engrossed in their mobile games to pay him any attention now that he’s been at it for almost an hour, “He’s considered a predator type, right? Jihoon said food was good before, hey Daehwi-ah, do you know what Seongwoo-ssi likes to eat?”

 

 

“Hmm?” Daehwi didn’t look up from the screen, fingers flying across is mobile quickly, “Did you say something hyung?”

 

 

“I asked if you knew what Seongwoo-ssi likes to eat?”

 

 

“Hyung, can I ask you a question first?”

 

 

“Hmm?” Daniel hums in question.

 

 

“Why are you so determined to apologize to Seongwoo hyung? Why not just let it go? You guys don’t have the same courses so it’s not like it’ll be awkward for you running into him or something. Why go this far?”

 

 

“I,” Daniel blinks, freezing under the unexpected weight of Daehwi’s stare as the younger looks at him from over the edge of his phone.

 

 

Why did he want Seongwoo-ssi to forgive him so badly? He think of fluffy black ears, black hair he wonders if is softer than those enchanting ears or not, a smile sliding off that handsome face until those lovely features were pinched in a look of disgust that made him feel shame bubbling up from his gut. Because Seongwoo had looked so cold, as if he had practised shutting off his emotions and his heart from the world.

 

 

As if he was too proud to be brought down by the words of those around him but also resigned to the fact that people would let down any hopes he had for them.

 

 

“I don’t want to be the reason why he has that look on his face,” Daniel says finally, “So, if you know what he likes to eat, you can tell me right? So I can make things right.”

 

 

“Dammit, I almost beat the high score, uh, meat, he likes red meat,” Jinyoung pipes up with an answer, breaking the odd tension in the room, “The gamier stuff especially, lamb is good but don’t get him venison.”

 

 

“Why not venison?”

 

 

Jinyoung looks at Daniel like he’s said something terribly stupid again. “Because Jonghyun hyung from his pride is a deer hybrid,” he says slowly before abandoning his game entirely to face Daniel, “Hyung, didn’t you do any research at all?”

 

 

“I did do reserach!” Daniel waves the pages of notes at Jinyoung in irritation, “Lots of it! More research than I’ve done for anything other than papers even!”

 

 

Jinyoung just rolls his eyes and smacks Daehwi on his forearm until he knocks the phone from the younger boy’s grasp, gesturing towards Daniel when Daehwi starts to whine. “I don’t mean that kind of research, hyung, not that it isn’t good, but what you’ve done is taken as an insult towards his entire pride at this point. Didn’t you at least look into who they are?”

 

 

“His…his pride?”

 

 

“Yes, his pride. Didn’t Jisung hyung tell you about them?”

 

 

“Uhh,” Daniel trails off before recalling the list of names Jisung had texted him two weeks back, “He told me their names?”

 

 

The older boy feels himself wilting under the combined force of his underclassmen’s stares. “Right,” Daehwi deadpans, “okay, let’s go through the list then. Or at least the people you can’t afford to also accidentally piss off.”

 

 

By the time Daniel leaves, he feels the names and attributes all jumbling around in his head, knocking against each other inside his skull until he’s positive they’re all going to be mixed up no matter how long Daehwi and Jinyoung spent drilling them into his memory. Kim Jonghyun, deer hybrid; Hwang Minhyun, desert fox hybrid; Choi Minki, snow leopard hybrid; Kang Dongho, wolf hybrid - these are the four he recites to himself religiously, these are the four Daehwi and Jinyoung had insisted he absolutely must look out for.

 

 

He could do this, right?

 

* * *

 

 

He starts by sneaking into the lecture hall Seongwoo’s morning lecture is going to be in and leaving a letter with an apology and a blueberry muffin that Jihoon had revealed Seongwoo was partial to in his usual seat. (Daniel still can’t believe Jihoon was actually pretty good friends with Seongwoo but refusing to interfere, telling Daniel he needed to fix things himself; he felt so betrayed.) There’s a deer hybrid sitting close by already whom looks at Daniel wordlessly, eyes heavy with judgement, and Daniel knows this must be Jonghyun.

 

 

Jonghyun says nothing to Daniel though, nor does he stop Daniel from placing his little gift on the table. For a moment, Daniel thought he saw amusement in those dark eyes, the large round pupils luminous in the harsh lighting of the lecture hall, before Jonghyun turned back to his notes. Gift delivered, he retreats quickly, rushing off to his own lecture on the opposite end of the campus.

 

 

For the next couple of days, Daniel repeats this little ritual of his.

 

 

Sometimes it’s much too early in the morning for anyone to want to function. Other times it’s closer to noon and he replaces his offering of blueberry muffins with snacks of dried jerky or roast beef sandwiches. With each gift he leaves a simple note stating “I’m sorry, will you forgive me?” and his name and number.

 

 

He runs into members of Seongwoo’s pride more times than he would like, despite managing to avoid the hyrbid in question. Word must have spread because they _definitely_ know who he is, eyes finding and pinning him down unerringly for every lecture Daniel intrudes on no matter how inconspicuous Daniel tries to be. Really it’s a lost cause since the beginning, Daniel knows he’s not a small person and in both of his encounters he had had with Seongwoo, a member of the panther hybrid’s pride had been present - there was no chance of him flying under the radar.

 

 

Thankfully though, none of them do more than scowl at him menacingly, although he had a couple of close calls with Dongho baring his teeth the moment Daniel walked into the room and a snow leopard hybrid Daniel is sure was named Minki looking at Daniel with a sneer and visibly holding himself back from instigating a fight. The classes Seongwoo shares with Jonghyun and Minhyun quickly become Daniel’s favourites as Minhyun never does more than track him lazily with his eyes, and Jonghyun even waves goodbye to him after the first couple of times - it was a good sign, right?

 

 

On the third week, Daniel walks into Seongwoo’s Monday morning lecture with a yawn only to freeze when he spots Seongwoo himself sitting beside Jonghyun, head cradled in his palm as he leaned on elbow, staring Daniel down, his jet black tail flicking back and forth in the air the only motion he made.

 

 

Slowly, Daniel approached Seongwoo, holding out the still warm muffin in front of him as offering and shield. Seongwoo makes no move to accept it, but nor does he make any overt movements to reject the gift and Daniel places it in front of him gingerly.

 

 

“You’re a persistent one, aren’t you?”

 

 

Today Seongwoo’s eyes stay black though his gaze is just as arresting as before and Daniel wars with himself, wondering if he should keep eye contact or not, while also trying not to stare at Seongwoo’s ears or tail not matter how much he really wants to because they look so _soft._ He settles for resting his gaze a little lower than Seongwoo’s eyes, except that turns out to be a very bad idea because the other parts of Seongwoo’s face are just as pretty and distracting as the rest of him.

 

 

“I, I just,” he struggles with his words slowly, hoping he won’t blurt out something stupid like ‘wow, you’re pretty’ in the middle, “I really wanted to let you know that I’m sorry. I made a lot of stupid mistakes but I really didn’t mean to offend you, and I know not knowing really isn’t a great excuse, but I hope you, um, could maybe forgive anyways?”

 

 

Seongwoo stares at him in silence, eyes narrowed in thought, dissecting Daniel silently. His ears slowly relax from their position until they’re no longer pulled back flat against his skull and he picks up the muffin, poking and prodding at it before picking off a single blueberry and popping it into his mouth, chewing contemplatively. Daniel fights back an urge to fidget watching Seongwoo inspect his treat before shrugging and taking a dainty bite out of it.

 

 

“Fine.”

 

 

“Huh?”

 

 

“You’re forgiven.”

 

 

“I-I am?” he stutters, wide-eyed, “Are you sure?”

 

 

Seongwoo snorts, ripping off a piece of the muffin and offering it to Jonghyun who just opens his mouth and the panther hybrid feeds him obligingly. “What do you mean am I sure? I said you are, so you are.”

 

 

“Oh, okay, um, that’s great!” Daniel bounces on the balls of his feet, feeling a smile wide enough to threaten to split his face in half spread uncontrollably, “That’s really really great.”

 

 

Seongwoo looks at him strangely when Daniel makes no move to leave, just stands their beaming at him. “Did you need something else?”

 

 

“Huh?”

 

 

Seongwoo splits the last of the muffin between himself and Jonghyun before gesturing at Daniel with an off-hand wave, “You’re still here. Was there something else?”

 

 

“A-ah! Um, no, not really just,” he fiddles with the edge of his shirt, suddenly finding the simple plaid pattern very interesting, “d-do you think we could be friends?”

 

 

“Friends?” Seongwoo arches an eyebrow.

 

 

“Yes,” Daniel squeaks.

 

 

The panther hybrid cants forward, leaning on his forearms to inspect Daniel. “Why?”

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

“Yes, why,” the older mocks, “Why do you want to be friends with me?”

 

 

“Um, you seem really cool?” he ekes out, cursing the fact that his voice seems to have jumped up two octaves from sheer nerves alone.

 

 

“Because I’m _cool_ ,” Seongwoo tests the word on his tongue as if it was unfamiliar, “Not because I’m a hybrid?”

 

 

“Maybe just a little bit?” he admits, “But I really do want to get to know you better.”

 

 

Seongwoo barks out a laugh, pushing himself back to sit heavily in his seat. “Well, at least he’s honest,” he turns to Jonghyun, smirking as he tips himself sideways to rest his head on the deer hybrid’s shoulders, “What do you think Jong?”

 

 

Jonghyun gives an enigmatic laugh and twitches his ears, “Your call, Seong.”

 

 

The smile Seongwoo gives Daniel has him gulping audibly.

 

* * *

 

 

Being friends with Seongwoo turns out to be a learning experience in more ways than one.

 

 

For one, he finds himself being thrown into the deep-end of hybrid culture. Seongwoo and his pride were rather well known and well connected, and Daniel with his unknowing blunders had made headline news for all the gossips in their university. The fact that Daniel was now freely hanging around Seongwoo without the hybrid in question or his pride raising a stink about it had tongues wagging incessantly, and if felt like every hybrid in their school who was any body at all had taken time to drop in unexpectedly during lunch or tea or a study session to ‘catch up’ and side-eye Daniel.

 

 

The hybrid in question seemed to almost enjoy showing Daniel off, and though he always stepped in if anyone became too pushy, Daniel was struck with the distinct sense that to Seongwoo he was more of an amusing past time at the moment, rather than a person he actually considered a friend. Jisung hyung rolls his eyes and told Daniel to pay attention to how Seongwoo was watching him when he interacted with other hybrids, the the way his closest friends were all observing silently.

 

 

“He’s testing you still, you silly goose,” Jisung had exclaimed in exasperation, “Once bitten and twice shy, and all that jazz. Besides, he’s getting a second opinion from his pack. Several second opinions, in fact.”

 

 

“But I thought they said it was his call?”

 

 

“Whom he associates with is his own decision,” Jisung explains patiently, “but Seongwoo is also never going to make a choice that endangers his pride or doesn’t take into consideration their thoughts and feelings. This is his _family_ , Niel-ah, one that he built for himself.”

 

 

“Is that why Seongwoo hyung keeps looking at Jonghyun-ssi?”

 

 

Jisung had smiled wickedly at that. “Haven’t you noticed by now that all eyes are on Seongwoo and his friends for a reason?”

 

 

“No?”

 

 

“Look at the type of hybrids most of them are, Niel.”

 

 

“What?”

 

 

“I can’t tell if you’re being willfully obtuse right now, or if you just shut off your brain whenever Seongwoo is involved,” Jisung grumbled, “They’re almost all predator type hybrids, Niel-ah. And yet who do they listen to most?”

 

 

“….Jonghyun-ssi?”

 

 

“Yes, and he is what?”

 

 

“A deer hybrid.”

 

 

“Mmhmmm,” Jisung looked at him meaningfully.

 

 

“…oh. _Oh._ And that’s…unusual?”

 

 

“A prey hybrid with a herd made up of predators and domestic types, you definitely don’t see that every day. Their group is considered an anomaly, especially since the predator types are ones who haven’t forsaken their instincts or traditions, and yet so willingly submit to the leadership of a deer hybrid.”

 

 

“Oh…..so the everyone dropping by thing isn’t just because of me?”

 

 

“No, that part is all you right now, but the fact that they are who they are also means there are more curious and nosy people. Stick around Daniel,” Jisung had laughed as he got up to head over and supervise his tutorial, “You’ll see, just stop being so obtuse about things, for gods sake.”

 

 

So Daniel had tried to pay more attention in the times that he hung out with Seongwoo, timidly at first, and then more eagerly as he realized none of the hybrids there were actually going to claw his face off, not anymore anyways.

 

 

Seongwoo’s pride was also much larger than Daniel had first realized it was, mostly due to the fact that their members continually adopted younger hybrids into their group. During the next fewweeks, Daniel found himself being bowled over more than once by an over-enthusiastic hybrid, with the main perpetrators being two dog hybrids that were still more puppy than anything. After the third time Daniel had been knocked over by Seonho, Seongwoo had finally taken pity on him and advised that it wasn’t just Seonho being playful, this was his way of asserting dominance and placing Daniel in his understanding of pack.

 

 

“If you keep rolling over for him like that,” Seongwoo warned with a smirk, settling into his seat with a quiet thank you to the server who dropped off their drinks, ignoring the way that the man’s eyes had lingered on his sleek tail though Daniel certainly didn’t miss it, “he’s never going to respect you. It’s alright to rough-house with him, you know; the fact that you don’t try at all is what’s confusing him, he doesn’t understand and so he keeps trying. The sooner you sort this out, the less likely he is to keep trying to tackle you into a ditch. Not that he’ll stop entirely, but then it’ll only be when he’s feeling playful.”

 

 

“And Guanlin?” Daniel had asked, eyeing the Malamute hybrid seated at the other end of the table warily, only recognizing now that the glint in the younger’s eyes meant something more than just mischief.

 

 

Seongwoo laughed into the rim of his rapidly emptying cup. “Guanlin is still upset at you on my behalf for the collar but he knows he can’t be openly antagonistic since _I’ve_ forgiven you, so he’s taking out his aggressions this way. Don’t worry, once he gets to know you he’ll tone it down.”

 

 

“Is….is the collar that bad?” he had asked tentatively, fighting back a flinch at the flash of amber in Seongwoo’s eyes, hurrying to apologize, “You don’t have to answer! Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

 

 

Seongwoo took a deep breathe and let it out slowly. “No,” he looked pensive, “if you don’t understand, it is better to ask. Just…don’t go around asking strangers, they might take offense. Otherwise, it’s good of you to want to understand.”

 

 

Looking at how Daniel was still tense in his chair, eyes darting around wildly, Seongwoo had sighed. “Not in a public space then,” he conceded, pushing the plate with the last of the sugar cookies towards Daniel and his tail twitched playfully, “Another time.”

 

 

Seeing Daniel’s fascinated gaze still tracking his tail, Seongwoo threw his head back and laughed, a puckish gleam in his eyes as he stood and then plopped himself onto the bench next to Daniel instead. His tail danced, soft fur brushing against Daniel’s jaw teasingly as it’s owner smirks, “Want to touch?”

 

 

Daniel startled, recalling the absolute outrage on Seongwoo’s face not too long ago when they had first met and Daniel had so thoughtlessly reached out wanting to touch his ears. “A-Are you sure?” he stuttered, eyes wide, recognizing the moment for what it was, “I, I didn’t mean to stare, it’s just-”

 

 

“It’s okay,” Seongwoo crooned, eyes falling to half-mast as he propped his head up with an elbow almost lazily, tilting his head so that more of the afternoon sun filtering through the skylight bathed his skin, “I don’t mind if it’s you.”

 

 

“You-” Daniel was lost for words when the soft appendage brushed against his clenched fists insistently until he unclenched his hands instinctively, and then he was touching Seongwoo’s tail, actually touching it.

 

 

“Wow,” the exclamation fell out of his mouth and Seongwoo’s smirk widened as Daniel giggled, petting the well-groomed fur almost reverantly, “hyung! It’s so soft!”

 

 

The panther hybrid preened, soaking up the praise and gentle ministrations the younger man was providing him. He ignored the knowing look his pride shot him, Minhyun wiggling his eyebrows wildly while Dongho snickered behind open palms, and the maknaes stared openly at how Seongwoo was letting Daniel pet him like this in _public_. Seongwoo just gave his tail another light twitch, watching in amusement at Daniel’s open delight; damn social propriety, he did what he wanted.

 

* * *

 

 

“So how’d you do it?”

 

 

Daniel pauses and then looks around the bathroom, confused, wondering if he’s hearing the words wrong over the pounding of the bass. There was no one else and he looked at the stranger through the mirror, drying his hands hastily on his jeans. “I’m sorry, are you talking to me?”

 

 

“Yeah, you’re fucking that stuck-up hybrid, right?”

 

 

Daniel’s brows furrow into a frown immediately, “Excuse me?”

 

 

“That uppity cat,” the stranger sneers, an ugly expression on his face marring otherwise clean-cut features.

 

 

He’s tall, around the same height as Daniel, wearing clothes brand-name and a decided air of superiority that casts him as distinctly out of place in a dingy bathroom of a club catered to broke university student.“You hang around him a lot, I’ve seen you around. Word on the street has it you tamed the little bitch, how’d you do it?”

 

 

Daniel stands frozen, fury he didn’t know he was capable of feeling licking at his veins, running through his bloodstream until he could feel his heart pounding to the beat of an ancient war drum, rage almost blinding in its intensity at the other’s words, “Excuse me? What the fuck did you just say?”

 

 

“I said, you’ve tamed that uppity cat, didn’t you? How’d you get him to bend over for you? Bet it was fun breaking him though, fucking hybrid, always prancing around waving his ass at people and pretending he’s too good for us when he’s just a jumped-up whore.”

 

 

“You watch your mouth,” Daniel warns, anger humming like a living thing beneath his skin, ready to pounce, to rip and tear into the skin; but the stranger’s mouth keeps moving, keeps spewing absolute filth that has Daniel seeing red yet the other man doesn’t stop.

 

 

“His kind were _made_ to be fucked and he thinks a few pretty words are going to change that, that some stupid law passed by a spineless liberal in office pandering to get more votes means anything. Bet you fucked that snooty attitude right out of him though, yeah? I saw him, rubbing himself all over you on the dance floor like the shameless slut hybrids are. Bet it felt real good holding that little bitch down and making him take it, you don’t mind sharing right?”

 

 

Daniel doesn’t remember throwing the first punch.

 

 

All he remembers is an all-encompassing rage and the feeling of the stranger’s blood hot as it splattered against his skin, the satisfying crunch of cartilage giving way as the man’s nose flattens under the force of his fist. He doesn’t know how long it has been or how many blows they exchanged but then arms are locking around his limbs, pulling him back, people shouting for them to stop fighting. He’s dragged out of that tiny bathroom by two bouncers who look less than amused, shoved through the crowd and then dumped on his ass on the steps outside, the cool night air doing nothing to temper his rage.

 

 

How dare that man say such things about Seongwoo hyung? How dare anyone think that hybrids were nothing more than things, pets to be subjugated and used for pleasure?

 

 

He wants to scream about the injustice of it all, rail against the prejudices that still hold despite the fact that it was the twenty first century and they were supposed to be _better_ than that now. Daniel hates that even with all the progress that’s been made, all the changes his friends would tell him excitedly about as it made headlines in the paper, that there was still very much a reason for hybrids to be wary of humans, to be careful.

 

 

Because bigots still saw them as nothing but toys, demeaned and fetishized them, and then hated them for not submitting to those whims. Bile rises at the back of his throat when Daniel remembers that damn _collar_ sitting in a bag, gathering dust at the back of his closet, and he resolves to burn it once he gets home. A pang runs through him as he remembers the absolute disgust and the emotion in Seongwoo’s eyes that he now knows was hurt when he had thoughtlessly presented that to his hyung as a gift all those months ago. He feels sick, that he ever could have been associated with the likes of that man, that he had ever made Seongwoo or any other hybrid feel unsafe.

 

 

“Daniel?”

 

 

He whips around to see Seongwoo and Minki walking down the steps of the club, brows furrowed in worry, both hurrying the moment they lay eyes on Daniel’s face. “You’re bleeding,” Seongwoo murmurs, rushing over to cradled Daniel’s face in his hands carefully with a frown.

 

 

Daniel hisses when Seongwoo’s fingers brush against his split-lip, thumb cresting over forming bruises, “S’ok, should see the other guy.”

 

 

The look in Seongwoo’s face hardens and he prods at the swelling in his cheekbone in reprimand. “Want to explain why you got into a fist fight in the bathroom?”

 

 

Daniel’s face darkens immediately and there’s no hiding it from Seongwoo who can see every nuance even in the light of a single flickering streetlamp, never mind when Daniel’s face was held so close to his. “He,” Daniel winces as he accidentally touches the cut in his lip when he licks his lips nervously, “hyung, you don’t want to hear it. But the things he said!”

 

 

Seongwoo’s nostrils flare and he exchanges a look with Minki. “If it’s about me, I think I can guess,” Seongwoo answers primly, dropping his hands from Daniel’s face and tugging him to his feet instead, “I’m sure I’ve heard it all at this point. But let’s go, you need to put some ice on that or you’re going to look like the sunset shit on your face in the morning.”

 

 

“What’d he look like, Daniel?” Minki asks, eyes glinting as he falls into step beside them, head turning to scout out their path silently, the twitching vein in his neck making it clear that if he ever got his hands on that stranger, he’d be carrying a souvenir for years to come.

 

 

“Minki, no,” Seongwoo chides even though he looks like he’s been forced to swallow a lemon having to warn off his friend, “If you do, it’s not going to help.”

 

 

Minki falls silent, stewing angrily, knowing that any retribution he actioned would have words like ‘feral hybrid attacks innocent partygoer’ splashed across the news, setting back any progress that’s being made and letting dissenters cry about this was proof of how hybrids were too wild to be left unregulated. In a twisted way, it had been fortunate that _Daniel_ was the one who the man confronted, that _Daniel_ was the one who got into a fight with him. Because Daniel was human, all he’d gotten was thrown out of the club with a warning, at most he would have been blacklisted from that venue and not welcomed back.

 

 

But if Minki or Seongwoo, or any other hybrid had done it, the other man would have cried wolf, could have insisted he had been attacked by a feral hybrid and only defended himself, and seen the other forced into some bullshit rehabilitation program or even put behind bars, record permanently marred. Daniel’s scowl darkens even as he allows Seongwoo to lead him back to his apartment, the hybrid hesitating before pulling him towards the elevators swiftly.

 

 

“Hyung?”

 

 

“Our place is closer,” Seongwoo says resolutely, the two hyungs corralling him towards their unit, “Let’s get some ice on that bruise. And you’re staying the night, you’re in no state to go home when you’re this worked up.”

 

 

“I don’t want to intrude-”

 

 

Daniel falls silent at the pointed look Seongwoo shoots him and allows himself to be led to the couch by Minki while Seongwoo darts off into the kitchen to snag a bag of frozen peas, wrapping it in a towel and then strolling over to press it against Daniel’s face gently. “Hold that, I’m going to go grab the first aid kit.”

 

 

“Hyung-”

 

 

“No complaints,” Seongwoo whirls around, pointing a finger at his face sternly as Minki sets a cup in front of him, teabag steeping in the hot water still, “You got into this because of me in a way, so let me patch you up at least.”

 

 

“But-”

 

 

“But nothing. Now wait here, I’ll be right back.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Daniel doesn’t know how he ends up bundled up in a spare set of pajamas on loan from Minhyun, swathed in an extra blanket and settled against the wall sitting on the foot of Seongwoo’s bed, waiting for the older to finish his shower and come back. The clock in the room is an electronic display in deference to Seongwoo’s sensitive hearing and the cup of tea Daniel cradles between his hands for lack of things to do has long since cooled into a tepid mess, teabag left in too long, tinging the liquid with an astringent bitterness.

 

 

He’s never been here before. 

 

 

He’s spent many lazy Sundays curled up beside Seongwoo on the couch, squished between him and Dongho as Minhyun screams at Jihoon not to burn the popcorn just because he’s arguing with Woojin in the kitchen, ready to watch the latest animated movie Jonghyun insisted they all see together while Seonho or Guanlin flops over their laps with a whine for someone to scratch behind their ears. He was here almost weekly for dinners because Daniel was considered part of the group now, part of Seongwoo’s pride (and wasn’t that an amazing feeling?), and Jonghyun liked to keep track of how everyone’s lives were going. The living room, the dining area, and the kitchen are all familiar to him, but not Seongwoo's room.

 

 

Being part of the pride though was something Daniel thinks might have ruined him for regular human relationships. Every day, without fail, at least one member of the group would check in on him, brushing up against him, scent-marking, a gentle reminder to him and to others that this human was claimed, was part of their group. More often then not, that person is Seongwoo who slings an arm over his shoulders and then rubs his cheek along the side of Daniel’s jaw while the younger boy tries his best not to combust as he blushes from the causal intimacy.

 

 

“Thanks for waiting, how do you feel? Need any painkillers? Swelling looks like it’s gone down.”

 

 

Daniel is jolted out of his thoughts as Seongwoo wanders back into the room, footsteps silent as always, freshly dried hair fluffier than Daniel’s ever seen it. He throws himself unto the bed bonelessly with a sigh, stretching out until he’s sprawled over Daniel’s lap without a care and the younger man finds himself unable to do anything to stare at the lazy grace in every movement Seongwoo makes.

 

 

The panther hybrid reaches a hand up, ghosting fingers over the forming bruises with pursed lips. “Does it hurt?”

 

 

“Not much now,” Daniel insists, curling his fingers around Seongwoo’s hand before he can think better of it, freezing because it leaves him holding Seongwoo’s hand unexpectedly.

 

 

Seongwoo holds his gaze steadily even as Daniel gulps, some force compelling him not to look away from mesmerizing amber eyes. His breath hitches as Seongwoo brings Daniel’s hand to his lips, tongue darting out to lick at his beat up knuckles. _It doesn’t mean anything,_ Daniel repeats to himself, _it’s a hybrid thing, licking wounds, it’s nothing, it’s nothing, don’t react._ “Hyung,” he winces at the breathy quality to his voice and Seongwoo pauses, looking up at him curiously.

 

 

“Hmm?”

 

 

“You’re, um, you’re licking my hand?”

 

 

“It’ll heal faster this way,” Seongwoo declares matter of factly.

 

 

“Oh,” Daniel deflates slightly without meaning to, startling when Seongwoo presses a kiss to the palm of his hand, “Hyung?”

 

 

“What did you want it to mean.”

 

 

“W-what?”

 

 

“I said,” Seongwoo pushes himself up into a sitting position until he’s straddling Daniel’s lap, hovering over him, face dangerously close, “what did you want it to mean?”

 

 

“I didn’t-”

 

 

“Don’t lie, Niel-ah,” the statement comes out accented by a half purr in the back of Seongwoo’s throat, “I can smell it on you.”

 

 

He swallows uselessly, mind working in over-drive. “I, hyung,” Daniel pauses, hoping to compose himself, “the collar from before……you know I’m really sorry, right? I never ever meant to disrespect you like that, or make you feel unsafe. When I called you kitty by accident, it wasn’t to demean you, or-”

 

 

He stops when Seongwoo lays a gentle finger against his lips with a bemused look. “You’re rambling, Niel-ah.”

 

 

“I just wanted you to know,” he insists, “that I would never think of you or anyone else like that guy tonight.”

 

 

“I know,” Seongwoo intones solemnly, “I know. I didn’t know back then, but I know it now. Have known for the past few months. We all do.”

 

 

“Okay,” he breathes, licking his lips nervously, “Okay, I’m glad you do, I just, I needed to make sure. Because you’ve all been so great, and you make me feel welcomed as a part of your pride, your family, and it’s not like I didn’t have friends before, but the sense of belonging is so awesome? I can’t believe more people don’t-”

 

 

“Daniel.”

 

 

“Rambling, right,” he laughs sheepishly.

 

 

“Deep breaths,” Seongwoo instructs, smoothing his hands soothingly along the curve of Daniel’s shoulders even as he leans in to rub their cheeks together until he’s scented Daniel enough to his liking, until he’s satisfied Daniel smells enough like Seongwoo again, “What did you want to say?”

 

 

“I-I really like you, hyung,” he trails off lamely but Seongwoo just smiles, darting forward lightning-fast to peck his nose and Daniel almost goes cross-eyed looking at the place Seongwoo’s lips had touched.

 

 

“And I really like you too,” Seongwoo declares simply.

 

 

“That’s it?” Daniel asked, laughing until he feels breathless, exhilarated and a little unhinged all at once.

 

 

“That’s it. Why make it all complicated? Humans, really,” Seongwoo scoffs, and Daniel dissolves into another fit of laughter even as he lets Seongwoo manhandled him unto his side until they’re curled up together on Seongwoo’s bed, the hybrid playing with Daniel’s fingers absentmindedly.

 

 

The silence is comfortable. Being here with Seongwoo is comfortable and Daniel feels so content now, so happy that he’s on the verge of drifting off when a thought suddenly occurs to him.

 

 

“Hey, hyung?”

 

 

“Hmm?”

 

 

“Does this mean I can pet your ears now?”

 

 

Seongwoo laughs, the sound low in his throat, it rumbles pleasantly along his frame and against Daniel’s chest even as he turns in Daniel’s embrace with an impish looking in his eyes and a salacious smile on his lips, leaning in close to whisper his answer into Daniel’s ears that has the younger man flushing bright red in seconds.

 

 

“I’ll let you touch _anywhere_ you want.”


End file.
